Overview
Explore Mail is a dedicated email inbox built into Cialfo, designed to help students and counselors manage university communication more efficiently.
Every student receives a unique @exploremail.co email address, which can be used for all applications — including Common App, UCAS, Direct Apply, and any other university system.
Explore Mail helps ensure important messages never get missed by sending instant notifications via email, SMS, and WhatsApp when a new message arrives.
What’s in it for Counselors -
Don’t Lose Offers: Students receive reminders for university offers and follow-ups.
Safe & Secure: Support your students by keeping tabs on important emails as they arrive.
Save Time: Spend less time on manual follow-ups and more on impactful guidance.
Any & All Applications: Common App, UCAS, or any university worldwide.
Why Students love it -
Don’t Lose Offers: Get smart reminders for university offers and follow ups.
Safe & Secure: Your counselor can support and keep tabs on your progress
All Applications on Cialfo: Keep application email organized
Any & All Applications: Common App, UCAS, or any university worldwide
Where to Find Explore Mail
You can access Explore Mail directly from your Cialfo dashboard.
Once you log in, look at the top-right corner of your screen — you’ll see a mail icon (✉️).
Clicking on it will take you to your Explore Mail inbox.
When setting up for the first time, you’ll see a welcome card in the middle of your screen .This card introduces Explore Mail, shows your new email address (e.g., [email protected]), and provides a “Go to your Inbox” button that takes you straight into Explore Mail.
How to use Explore Mail?
Direct Apply (Cialfo)
Students applying via Direct Apply in Cialfo will automatically use their Explore Mail email address.
This is the default setup — no extra configuration is needed.
Students can view all communication from universities on the Explore Mail page in Cialfo.
UCAS (UK Direct Apply)
UCAS applications submitted through Cialfo also use the student’s Explore Mail address by default.
Just like Direct Apply, all related university communication will be visible in the Explore Mail inbox.
Common App
Students can sign up on the Common App using their Explore Mail email address.
This ensures seamless integration with Cialfo, making it easier to track applications, offers, and university follow-ups — all in one place.
Counselors also gain visibility into communications, simplifying guidance and support.
University Portals
For universities that require applications through their own portals, students can enter their Explore Mail address during the application process.
This helps consolidate all application-related emails — regardless of platform — into one centralized inbox inside Cialfo.
Key Features of Explore Mail
Student Inbox and Reminders
Students receive a dedicated inbox within Cialfo to manage all university-related emails.
The clean, student-friendly design makes it easy to read, search, and organize messages.
Built-in reminders help students stay on top of critical follow-ups or deadlines, ensuring nothing important is missed.
Notifications and Dashboard Updates
Students are instantly notified whenever a new university email arrives.
Real-time alerts via email and WhatsApp keep them updated, while email cards on their Cialfo dashboard highlight unread or urgent messages so they can take quick action.
Saige-Powered Offer Detection & Notifications
Cialfo’s AI, Saige, automatically detects university offers and other important updates inside emails.
Both students and counselors receive instant notifications, helping them stay informed, celebrate wins, and respond to opportunities without delay.
Counselor Inbox & Oversight
Counselors have full visibility into student inboxes directly within Cialfo.
This allows them to provide proactive support, identify potential issues early, and guide students more effectively through the application process—all without needing access to personal email accounts.
Access for Counselors vs Students
Counselors:
Can view student inboxes directly in Cialfo.
Monitor email activity and important updates.
Provide timely guidance and intervene when needed.
Students:
Can read emails and view attachments in Cialfo.
Receive notifications via SMS, WhatsApp, and personal email.
Search emails by subject, sender, or content.
Must use Bluehost to reply, forward, or compose emails.
Using Your Explore Mail Inbox
Your Explore Mail is where you’ll receive all important updates from universities and application portals.
Here’s what you can do inside Cialfo:
Access Your Inbox
Open Explore Mail directly within the Cialfo platform to see all your emails in one place.
The left panel shows your folders (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Junk, Trash, Archive).
The middle panel lists the emails in the folder you’ve selected.
The right panel displays the full message when you click on an email.
Search Emails
Use the search bar to find emails quickly by subject, sender, or even text within the email body.
View Individual Emails
See the subject line, sender details, and full message body.
If there are attachments, you can download or view them directly.
Check Spam (Junk) Folder
Emails that look suspicious will appear in the Junk folder for easy review.
Open in Bluehost for More Actions
Click “View in Bluehost” to open the full Bluehost email panel.
There you can reply, forward, compose, or use advanced email options outside Cialfo.
Counselor Access
Counselor can also view students Explore Mail inbox, so they stay updated on your application communications.
List View
Shows a list of all emails in the folder you’re viewing (e.g., Inbox, Sent, Junk). Each entry displays the sender, subject line, and time received.
Email View
When you click on an email from the list, the full message opens here. You can read the subject, body, sender details, and see any file attachments.
Bluehost Integration
Bluehost is an email hosting service that manages and stores your university-related emails securely.
How it Supports Explore Mail:
Acts as the backend email server for Explore Mail.
Ensures all application emails are delivered reliably and stored safely.
Allows students to access full email functionality (reply, forward, compose) via the Bluehost email panel.
Why It’s Important:
Maintains email security and privacy.
Ensures no messages are lost or missed.
Provides students with full email capabilities that aren’t available directly within Cialfo.
Email Forwarding
Counselors and students can choose to forward Explore Mail updates to their personal or school email accounts, ensuring critical information is never missed.
Notifications
Students stay fully informed through a portal complemented by WhatsApp, SMS, and email notifications, ensuring no update is missed. The portal provides detailed information, while multi-channel alerts deliver timely reminders directly to students’ devices, keeping them organized, engaged, and always up to date.
What is new? - Previous/Next Student Navigation Now Working on Explore Mail Page
Prior to January 2026, counselors on the Explore Mail page were unable to use the Previous and Next student navigation controls. Clicking these options had no effect, requiring counsellors to manually return to the student list and select the next student.
Now, the Previous and Next student navigation controls on the Explore Mail page work correctly, allowing counsellors to move seamlessly between student inboxes without leaving the Explore Mail view.
This allows counselors using the Explore Mail page to manage and review student communications.
If the navigation controls are still not working, please try clearing your browser cache and reloading the page.
Our Client Support team is available via Live Chat 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, so you can get help anytime during the work week through Chat with Cialfo.
If you’re unable to find a solution in our help articles or need further assistance, you can contact the Cialfo Support team via Live Chat or email us at [email protected].